The Mentor Network Founder Feature – Sentimental Moodz

You know the jam — in the Founder Feature Series, we chat with the founders of the 6th Cohort of The Mentor Network to learn more about them as individuals, as well as their entrepreneurial journeys. They have some great wisdom and experience to share with the rest of the community, and they could use your help too!

Established in February 2018, Sentimental Moodz was born out of a desire to see more paper products that reflect people of color and decided to be the change it wanted to see. As a result, Sentimental Moodz handcrafts greeting cards and gifts with an emphasis on Afrocentric/Multi-cultural design.

Safiyyah Mills

What did you do before you were the Founder of your startup?

I did a lot! Most recently/currently, I run operations for Your KC DJ, which is a business my husband and I collaborate on. I also serve the community through my family’s nonprofit, Laura E Mason (LEM) Foundation. LEM was created to memorialize my mother who is a missing person of Kansas City, MO. The majority of LEM’s programs run through AdHoc Group Against Crime. I also work as a contractor for other small businesses. I am mostly contracted to assist with the organizational management, the development of processes and operations help. My last career before becoming an entrepreneur fulltime was as a Special Education teacher for mild to moderate disabilities at a charter high school. My diverse background has sharpened my problem-solving skills. I am more open — often seeking multiple sides of a situation before rushing to judgment. My many backgrounds have also made me a better people-person, which directly impacts my customer service skills.

Why this startup? A.k.a. what is your ‘why’?

I have been working as an entrepreneur fulltime since 2011. Before founding Sentimental Moodz, I was always at the mercy of another person’s vision and passion. Although I found/find pleasure in business responsibilities, I discovered that I had passions of my own I wanted and needed to explore. I brainstormed for roughly a year. Often asking myself, “what problems exist that need to be fixed?” I contemplated what could I do without needing someone else right away to execute and finally get back in the driver’s seat. I watched Shark Tank a bunch (actually a lot) and kept getting inspired. Until one day it hit me — greeting cards. Not just any greeting cards, but ones that focused on people and expressions that were unique to me. From there I began thinking about my first-hand experiences when shopping for greeting cards that I could identify with. Many times I’d find a card that I could tweak somehow or even repurchase a previous design that I had bought in the past. When I got the courage to share my plans with my closest family and friends, I discovered that they believed in my vision, which in turn motivated me to start drawing again. I hadn’t drawn since my days at Middle School of the Arts. At the beginning of the year, a middle school classmate reached out to me to invite me to pitch at KCSourceLink. In that moment, Sentimental Moodz became real. Committing to KCSourcelink made the startup experience real for me as I stepped off of a ledge, unsure if there was netting to catch me. I’ve been taking all opportunities since then to put Sentimental Moodz out there.

What was your first milestone/win that let you know you were on the right track to building this business?